Numerous studies have revealed that medical errors are responsible for tremendous patient suffering, loss of life, and billions of dollars in costs. Research also suggests that children are at much higher risk of these errors than adults. New information technologies, particularly personal digital assistants (PDAs), are able to provide readily accessible medical information at the point-of-care...

Medical error continues to be a topic of discussion. Blaming the physician or nurse for error is too simplistic and may serve to blur larger system problems from being identified and addressed. This article considers recent history of assignment of errors from a quality assurance perspective, multiple paths which result in error, reviewing the 1999 Institute of Medicine report and looking beyon...